7400 - Standards for Budgetary Requirements

Standards have been developed for use in determining total budgetary requirements for all programs.

The Special Needs provisions only apply to cash programs. (See 7412).

7401 Proration (Cash, Food Assistance, Child Care Only) - For applications filed on the first of the month, assistance will be provided for the full month. For applications filed after the first of the month, the amount of assistance is to be prorated from the date of application.

7401.1 Assistance shall be prorated from the:

1. Date of application (refer to 1411.2) for all new cash and food assistance cases (including assistance for a new household member who is reported during the month of application after an application has been filed, but prior to case approval.) If the new household member is reported in the month following the month of application but prior to approval, assistance for the new household member is effective the first day of the month in which the change was reported.) For non-foster care child care, date of application or date of Provider Agreement, whichever is later. For applications for child care for children in foster care, benefits may be backdated to the date of the child’s foster care placement, provided that the completed application, signed off on by the foster care case management agency or the child placing agency, is received within 14 calendar days of the child’s placement. If the need for child care arises after the child has been in the foster care placement, benefits may be provided effective with the date of need, provided that the completed application, signed off on by the foster care case management agency or the child placing agency, is received within 14 calendar days of the date child care is needed;
    

2. Date of application for persons reapplying for cash assistance following a sanction for failure to meet CSS or work requirements. However, the applicant must agree to cooperate and fulfill other requirements necessary to resolve the sanction prior to eligibility being approved; and
    

3. For food assistance, from the date of application when the household reapplies after case closure or the expiration or denial of its most recent review period in this or any other state (even if there is no break in assistance); and

   
   
4. For food assistance, from the date the household provides information or takes a required action following the denial of a review application and the action is taken in the month following the end of the review period. Also see 9350.
   
   
5. For situations in which a new application is required, the date of proration for all new program requests shall be the date the application is received by the agency (see 1411.2). If a new application is not required, the date of proration shall be the date the request, either orally or in writing, is first received by the agency.

Example:

An application for food assistance is received on March 2. During the face-to-face interview on March 4, the applicant also requests TANF assistance. The proration date for food assistance is March 2. The proration date for TANF is March 4.


6. To compute the prorated amount, divide the monthly benefit by the number of days in the month. Multiply that figure by the remaining days in the month. (An easy way to determine the remaining days in the month is to subtract the date of application from the number of days in the month and add one day.)
   
   

7401.2 Proration is not applicable to:
 

1. All programs:
    
   1. Persons whose assistance has been suspended and reinstated in the month following a one month suspension (see 1423);
      
      
   2. Persons who are reinstated when required information/cooperation or the interim report or 12-month report form is provided in the month following the effective date of closure (see 1423 and 9122.6 (4);
      
      NOTE: For food assistance, proration does apply following the end of the review period. See 7401(4) and 9350
      
      
2. Cash and Child Care Only - When an application or review form is returned in the month following the end of the review period it can be used to redetermine eligibility and benefits shall not be prorated for all programs except food assistance. (see 1423)
   
   
3. Cash Only -
   
   
   1. When an application is filed in response to a notice of sanction and cooperation is established within 45 days of the date of the application, if the application is received in the month following the effective date of closure.
      
      Example:
      
      TANF case closes 1/31 due to non-cooperation with Quality Assurance. Application filed 1/29 for cash assistance based on closure notice. Cooperation does not occur until 3/5. Because cooperation occurred within 45 days of application, benefits resume on 2/1 and there is no proration of cash benefits.
      
      
   2. When a TANF case is being reopened in the month following the effective date of closure.
      
      
4. Food Assistance Only - Persons who are migrant households in the labor stream with when there has been no break in assistance.
    

5. Child Care Only -
   
   

   1. The family share is not prorated. See 7541.
      
      
   2. Persons who reapply in the month following closure when there has been no break in assistance;
      

7402 Rounding (Provisions Applicable to Cash and Food Assistance) - For cash, rounding is permitted in determining the pro rata standards and the amount of payment only. All money payments shall be rounded down to the next lowest dollar.

For Food Assistance, any cents resulting from the following computations shall be dropped, resulting in benefit of the next lower whole dollar amount:

1. Any cents resulting from the subtraction of 30% of net income from the Thrifty Food Plan. This dropping of cents, or truncation, is incorporated in the Food Assistance Benefit Tables for households of 10 or less members.
    

2. Any cents resulting from the proration of the regular benefit through the use of the application proration formula.